


Oenomel - One Shots

by mallaidhsomo



Series: Oenomel [3]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alchera (Mass Effect), Flirting, M/M, Mass Effect 3: Leviathan, Nightmares, POV Jeff "Joker" Moreau, POV Kaidan Alenko, POV Shepard (Mass Effect), Renegade Shepard (Mass Effect), Shifty Looking Space Cow, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:35:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27610763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mallaidhsomo/pseuds/mallaidhsomo
Summary: One-shots in the Oenomel-verse. Some take place during or after the main story and may or may not follow the main story plot.One-shots are usually not beta-read; all mistakes are my own.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard
Series: Oenomel [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2018687
Comments: 16
Kudos: 19





	1. Apodyopis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apodyopis - The act of mentally undressing someone.
> 
> _Poor Kaidan. He's really in over his head._
> 
> Set during ME1. Pre-mshenko.

Kaidan could count on one hand the number of people he'd been attracted to in his life. That wasn't to say he hadn't noticed attractive people, but the heady feeling of being around someone he desired, the flip in his stomach, the rapid beating of his heart…he'd only felt that way a few times, and usually with people he'd known for a while, people he'd already formed a bond with.

Which was why his sudden and uncharacteristic attraction to Eric Shepard was confusing…and maddening. He was entirely unlike anyone Kaidan had ever found himself drawn to: brash, promiscuous, and generally lacking any semblance of basic manners. He flirted constantly, and Kaidan would have thought it meant something…personal…if Shepard didn't literally flirt with nearly everyone.

In other words, he wasn't what Kaidan had thought his type was, at _all_. So, it was a little disconcerting to find himself in the shuttle bay of the Normandy, heart in his throat, blood pounding in his veins, palms clammy, from the simple act of watching Shepard kit down from his hard suit to the skin-tight under armor.

Everyone on the ground team; Kaidan, Shepard, and Liara, were a little anxious to get out of their hard suits. The sweltering climate of Nonuel tested the limits of the life support and TCL in any set of armor. Kaidan could feel the sweat rolling down his spine, and he imagined Shepard felt the same way, if his brisk and jerky removal of his armor pieces was any indicator.

The dark brown curls at the back of his neck were damp with sweat, and the under-kit clung to his back and arms. Kaidan hadn't realized how well-built Shepard was, though he supposed that should have been obvious. No one received an N7 designation without honing their body to its best.

He dropped his gauntlets into his locker, wondering if Shepard's hair was as soft as it looked. Shepard, as if he could read Kaidan's damn mind, chose that moment to run a hand through it, disheveling it in a way Kaidan imagined it would look after…other activities.

He flushed, whipping his head back to face his locker. What the hell was wrong with him? Not only was this train of thought inappropriate, given that Shepard was his CO, but the man had already had several lovers come on and off the Normandy since he took command. This line of thinking could only lead to heartbreak.

Kaidan moved on to removing the rest of the plating from his arms, chancing a glance around the room. Liara was already kitted down and heading to the showers, leaving Kaidan alone with Shepard. He swallowed thickly, unable to tear his gaze away from the sight of Shepard peeling the top of his under-suit off. It stuck to the cotton shirt underneath, causing it to ride up to the middle of his chest before it stopped.

He had a light brown dusting of hair covering his pectorals, with a thin stripe that led down past the waistband of his pants. A light sheen of sweat covered him, and Kaidan's mind took him to _a very_ naughty place before he could stop it. What that hair and those muscles _… all those muscles_ , would feel like under his palms, if Shepard would shudder under his touch as Kaidan traced the lines of his abs with his fingertips. And if he reacted that way to his hands, how would he react to his _tongue_?

Kaidan blinked, depositing his arm plates in his locker next to the gauntlets _. Jesus Christ, Alenko. Get it together._

"Next random ass planet we end up on better have a fucking beach," Shepard grumped, stepping out of the pants of his under-armor, leaving him in nothing but a skintight, sweat soaked t-shirt and black boxer briefs.

Kaidan's throat was suddenly dry and his stomach did a somersault. He managed to keep his eyes glued to his locker as he removed his chest piece and worked on the lower half of his hard suit.

"With a fruity frozen drink," Shepard was saying, peeling his sweaty shirt off. "The kind with the little umbrellas in them."

 _For the love of God please don't take your briefs off_. Kaidan fumbled with the groin plate of his armor, praying that his body didn't betray just _how_ attracted to Shepard he was.

"Maybe find some girls in bikinis to bring us drinks," Shepard was openly grinning at Kaidan now, standing by his locker stripped down to his skivvies like it was no big deal. "Or maybe a pool boy or two."

Kaidan cleared his throat, dropping his thigh plates into his locker with a loud clank.

"What do you think, Alenko? You game?" He was leaning against his locker, arms crossed over his chest, all lean muscle and light sheen of sweat.

Kaidan's stomach flipped.

"Um, sure, Commander. Sounds great," he managed, voice breaking a bit at the end. He coughed before continuing, ultimately burying himself deeper. "Next planet with a beach. You bring the sunglasses; I'll bring the sunscreen."

Shepard's smile turned salacious. "As long as you promise to get my back,"

He grabbed a towel from the stack, then headed to the showers, leaving his briefs behind. Kaidan managed to turn away just in time, face flushed, catching a glimpse of flesh a shade lighter than the rest, an enticing curve that Kaidan really wanted to get his hands on.

Eric Shepard in a pair of board shorts? Yeah, he could get behind that idea.

Kaidan took his time neatly putting away the rest of his armor, checking for nicks or dings, waiting until Shepard was done before he headed to the showers. There was no way he could make it through a shower next to the man, modesty partition or no.

Kaidan passed him on his way out of the showers, scratchy Alliance-issue towel slung low on his narrow hips. Kaidan managed to tear his gaze up to the man's face, just in time to see the wink Shepard gave him as he sauntered to his cabin with more swagger than was strictly necessary.

 _I'm in so much trouble_. Kaidan thought.

He took a cold shower that day. 


	2. Shifty F-ing Space Cow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rather innocuous 'get to know your OC' question spawned this ficlet. 
> 
> _"Wait," Joker put in, starting to put two and two together. It was hard sometimes, to get a read on Shepard. He swore sometimes the man wanted them all to just be able to read his mind. "The space cow stole your credits?"_
> 
> _"Yes!" Shepard breathed, as if finally, someone gets it._

"Joker, set course for Ontarom," Shepard's cranky voice crackled over the comm, and clearly _something_ had crawled up his ass, but Joker would have to consult his list of 'Things that Could Possibly Piss Shepard off' later, because he had a ship to fly, to Ontarom, apparently. But wait…

"Uh, Commander, we just _left_ Ontarom."

"Yeah, I know. I was there," Shepard spat back, and Joker flipped the comm the bird, knowing Shepard couldn't see it, because _fuck_ this guy could be prickly sometimes, but Joker also didn't have a death wish.

Someone else was on the other end of the comm, the voice muffled so that Joker couldn't make out what was being said, but the voice was deep and clearly masculine. Poor Alenko. He always seemed to be around for Shepard's tantrums.

"The shifty fucking space cow!" Shepard was hollering, probably at Alenko, because Joker wasn't sure what a space cow had to do with him flying the ship. "The one trying to play grab ass with me!" He scoffed at something Alenko said. "I had credits when we landed on that fucking planet, _Kaidan_ , and now I don't."

"Wait," Joker put in, starting to put two and two together. It was hard sometimes, to get a read on Shepard. He swore sometimes the man wanted them all to just be able to read his mind. "The space cow stole your credits?"

"Yes!" Shepard breathed, as if _finally_ , someone gets it.

Behind Joker, Williams snorted, and he jumped. Someone put a bell on that woman, he hadn't even heard her approach.

"You just need to receive something to make up for the lost cash, Skipper," she said, slipping into the seat next to Joker like she belonged there. "Maybe Kaidan can give you a lap dance."

On the other side of the comm, Alenko squawked and Shepard guffawed. Joker could just imagine the shade of red the lieutenant's face must have been turning.

"Williams, you should know better," Shepard said, his voice aiming for seriousness and failing by a light year. His voice broke around a chuckle as he managed his next words, "A lap dance from Kaidan is worth _way_ more than a hundred credits."

A thumping noise came through the comm, followed by Shepard's half-hearted 'ow'. Joker gaped at the comm, the rusty wheels in his head turning as he replayed his CO's words. He exchanged a look with Williams, who just rolled her eyes.

"Wait," he said, holding a hand palm up to the comm as if Shepard could see it. "Just so I'm clear on your orders here. You want me to _turn this starship around_ , travel five lightyears in _the opposite direction,_ go _back through the mass relay_ , and _prep the Mako for a hotdrop_ on Ontarom over _a hundred credits_?"

Shepard was silent for a moment. Then, "Did I stutter?"

Joker threw his hands in the air. Williams was sniggering under her breath. On the other end of the comm, Alenko was trying to remain calm, but his voice was getting more and more desperate, intermixed with the occasional curse or groan from Shepard.

Finally, Shepard scoffed, yelped "Fine!" and hung up the comm.

Joker blinked at the closed connection for a moment. Maybe he'd wake up, warm in his bunk, and Shepard's latest antics would be nothing but a dream.

"I kind of feel bad for Alenko. He always seems to be the one that has to get Shepard to pull the stick out of his ass."

Williams laughed, throwing her feet up on the console in front of her, just for a moment, before removing them due to Joker's death glare.

"Don't," she said. "All LT has to do is pout in Shepard's direction and Skipper will do anything he wants."

Joker snorted out a laugh. "You think Shepard will ever realize how bad he has it for Kaidan?"

Ashley groaned, her head lolling back against the seat. "For my own personal sanity, I sure fucking hope so." 


	3. In Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Kiss Prompts on Tumblr - "Kiss in a Dream"
> 
> Set between ME1 and ME2.

Kaidan stretched out, smiling and sated, pressing as much of his bare flesh as he could against the body next to him. The cool recycled air in the cabin caressed his sweaty skin, causing a shiver. Or maybe the shiver was caused by the lazy circles Shepard was tracing against the small of his back. Didn't matter. Either way, it felt fantastic, and he had no intentions of leaving this bed. Ever.

He hummed happily, nuzzling into Shepard's neck, and felt his partner's smile as he pressed a kiss against Kaidan's forehead. His hands did their own bit of exploring, idly tracing the musculature of Shepard's stomach, listening to the beat of his heart under his ear, which was resting comfortably on Shepard's chest.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter," Shepard replied.

Kaidan snorted, snaking his arm around Shepard's waist to snuggle closer. "Eric, it matters. I can't be seen in your quarters _all_ the time."

Shepard shifted, carding a hand into Kaidan's hair as if to hold him there. "Sure you can. In case you forget, my quarters is right outside the mess, and you aren't exactly _quiet_ ," Shepard gave his butt a playful squeeze, and Kaidan groaned, burying his face deeper into Shepard's throat.

"Besides," Shepard continued. "It's not exactly a secret, anymore. Everyone knows what we're doing. Just…stay. Enjoy it."

Kaidan bit down on his bottom lip, thinking. "Yeah, I know. It's just… I've been spending more nights here than not lately. It's not particularly professional of us."

Shepard grunted, scratching his nails against Kaidan's scalp and causing a pleasant tingle from head to toe. "Nothing about this cluster fuck is professional. We should be finding a way to be fighting the Reapers, not out here in the middle of fucking nowhere patrolling for geth. I'm the Savior of the Citadel. If I want to spend all my new downtime shacking up with my partner, that's what I'm going to do."

Kaidan hummed his agreement. "It's a perk, sure. But don't you think there's something really off about this whole thing?"

He felt Shepard shrug. "Yeah, something's really fucking off. But in the meantime, I get you naked in my bed every night. Still feels like a win to me."

Kaidan chuckled, nuzzling behind Shepard's ear and planting a kiss there. "You have such a sweet way with words, Eric."

Shepard huffed. "Just…enjoy it while it lasts, K. You never know when the shit is going to hit the fan. We might not get this kind of time again."

Kaidan shifted, leaning up on his elbows to meet Shepard's hazel gaze. "That's awfully introspective of you,"

Shepard's eyes, normally full of mischief, were abnormally serious. "Maybe I'm thinking about a lot of things lately. Things I wouldn't normally think about."

Kaidan studied him, feeling a strange tickle in his stomach. "Like what?" he asked, voice soft.

Shepard shifted, hooking a foot around Kaidan's ankle for purchase, effortlessly rolling them over so Kaidan was pinned under him. Shepard eyes roamed over Kaidan's face, running his fingers through his hair and coming to rest at the back of his neck. He seemed to be studying Kaidan's features, as if trying to commit them to memory.

"I love you," he said, matter of fact and so sudden that Kaidan could do nothing but gape at him for a moment.

Kaidan surged up, wrapping his arms around Shepard's neck and pulling him into a kiss that he hoped poured out all of the feelings that he'd kept so close to the chest. Shepard groaned against his mouth, licking against his lips until Kaidan opened for him and Shepard pushed his tongue past his teeth.

They kissed until they were both breathless and Kaidan was dizzy. When they finally pulled apart, Kaidan cupped Shepard's face between his hands, holding his gaze.

"I love you, too,"

Shepard smiled, the kind of innocent and carefree look that Kaidan only saw in the rare times they were alone and Shepard let his guard down.

Shepard's omni-tool began to beep, the familiar sound of his wake-up alarm. Kaidan peered at him, curious, before squirming out from under him to try to reach for it.

"Why would you set your omni-tool for now?" he teased, fumbling around on Shepard's side table for wherever he'd managed to stuff his omni-tool now.

Shepard didn't answer.

Groaning, Kaidan sat up to search properly. The beeping grew louder, but the omni-tool was nowhere in sight. He turned around to ask Shepard where the heck he'd stashed it, only to find himself alone in the bed.

"Eric?"

No answer. Kaidan swung his legs around and onto the floor, but instead of the soft padding of bare feet on the ground, his armored boots hit the metal floor with a clank. He looked up, through the visor of his helmet, meeting the terrified gaze of Liara next to him.

A curious glance around told him that they're in one of the Normandy's escape pods. Him, Liara, and Tali on his other side.

The attack. The mad dash through the ship, herding what crew they could into the escape pods. Shepard insisting that Kaidan help the crew while he went for their pilot.

Hands trembling, Kaidan pulled up his comm. "Joker? Do you copy?"

Static, and Kaidan felt his heart fall to his stomach, before the pilot replied. "Kaidan. I'm here."

"Are you ok?"

A sharp intake of breath on the other side. "My arm is broken. But otherwise I'm in one piece."

"Where's Shepard?"

Silence.

"Joker, did Shepard make it into the pod with you?" Kaidan continued, ignoring the frantic sound of his voice.

"Kaidan, I-"

"Where the hell is Eric, Joker?" he finally snapped, the panic practically drowning him.

"He-," the pilot stuttered, voice breaking and Kaidan's heart broke along with it. "He put me in the pod, but there was a breach… Kaidan, I'm sorry."

Kaidan disconnected the comm before Joker could continue, pulling up Shepard's vitals on his HUD. Breathing, heartbeat, pulse, all dropping steadily. He was dying.

Kaidan clawed at his harness, trying to get out of his seat, to do what, he wasn't sure. But if he could get to Eric, maybe…

"Kaidan, stop!" Liara's hand was on his arm, and another familiar feeling as she held him in statis. "You'll kill all of us,"

Kaidan squirmed, half-heartedly, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that she was right, but still wanting to follow the primal part of him that _needed_ to get to his partner, somehow.

Another hand landed on his shoulder. Tali. "Kaidan I'm sorry," she said, voice hollow. "He's gone."

Bile rising in his throat, he checked the three flat lines on his HUD. He took a shuttering breath, his head falling back against the bulkhead with a thunk. It wasn't supposed to be like this. How could this have happened?

Beeping. There was still that damned beeping. Maybe Shepard wasn't gone, it could be…

Kaidan's head shot up, eyes squinting against the bright morning sunlight streaming in through his window. Groaning, he sat up, rubbing the vestiges of sleep from his eyes. It wasn't the first night he'd been visited by a similar dream about Eric, and he doubted it would be the last. He sat up, swinging his legs around to land on the floor, and gazed around his childhood room. Two weeks of leave at his parents' condo in Vancouver, letting his mother feed him and spoil him like she did every time he came home.

Still couldn't stop the dreams, though. He sighed, reaching over to turn off his alarm. Sometimes, when he really let his thoughts get the best of him, he wished he'd never asked Eric for an exclusive relationship. Maybe if they hadn't gotten involved, if Kaidan hadn't spent so much time alone with him, learning what a complicated and beautiful man he was, maybe it wouldn't have hurt as bad to lose him.

He knew that was bullshit, though. What he really wished for was _time_. They never had enough of it; to explore the false start that their relationship had ended up being. Maybe given enough time, Eric would have eventually admitted to any deeper feelings he might have, buried deep.

Kaidan could only hear it in dreams, now.

He snatched his omni-tool off the end table, attaching it to his wrist. No use worrying about the maybes. No use dwelling on things that will never happen.

A priority message in his inbox caught his attention. New orders. Top secret. Report to the Citadel in forty-eight hours for briefing. He sighed, padding across the room to grab his rucksack and start packing. He'd have to leave for the spaceport today if he wanted to make it to the Citadel in time.

He grabbed a small digital frame off the desk, pausing for a moment to study the picture. Tali had snapped the photo of him and Eric after the Battle of the Citadel. Kaidan could probably count on one hand the times he'd been happier than that day, standing with Eric on the Presidium, planning a trip, just the two of them. Eric's mischievous smile made Kaidan's stomach flip, especially after he'd presented a plan for their leave he wasn't sure Shepard would agree to. But he had, and they'd spent two weeks in Budapest, touring the sights, eating, drinking, and having more sex than Kaidan had had in his entire life.

It had been perfect. Hard to believe it had been two years now. Two years since he'd contemplated a future with someone for the first time in his life. Two years since he'd felt that fluttering sense of hope in his chest, the feeling that maybe this was it, maybe _he_ was it.

Two years since Shepard had died. Kaidan wondered when it would start to feel real. 


	4. Sea Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the Types of Kisses Prompts on Tumblr. #9 - A kiss that lasts so long they are sharing each others' breath
> 
> Set during ME3: Leviathan.

Eric slid from the belly of the mech, letting Cortez crowd him away so he could finish running whatever scans he needed to do. Shepard gladly stepped aside; techy stuff was not his forte and he wasn’t going to pretend to know what his pilot was doing.

He knocked some of the stray water out of his hair, noticing the pinched face of his partner, who was glaring at the mech as if it was the cause of all his woes.

"Stop it, you're overthinking again," Shepard put it, stepping up beside him.

Kaidan scoffed. "No, I'm-"

Eric cut him off, poking him gently between the eyebrows with a gauntleted hand. "Yes. It's the eyebrows,"

He grinned at him, but Kaidan didn't appear amused; if anything, his thinking face deepened, pinched lips joining pinched eyebrows. The admonishing look didn't have the affect on Shepard he probably intended, if anything it only made Eric want to kiss him until his face softened a bit.

"I don't like this," Kaidan said at length.

Eric snorted. "I'm not particularly looking forward to deep diving looking for ancient alien monsters, either, but we play the cards we're dealt, huh?"

Kaidan narrowed his eyes. "Eric…"

"Kaidan, whatever is down there, we need it. You know that as well as I do. And I can't ask anyone else to take this risk for me."

Kaidan huffed, and yeah, Shepard knew it shouldn't be, but he always found the sound adorable. "But why can't you ask someone else? We're a team, Eric. Any one of us could get in that mech and go down there. I could-"

"No, not you." Eric bit out, quickly, before Kaidan could finish the thought. No. No way in hell. He'd scuba dive for a thousand weird-ass monsters before that happened.

Kaidan just blinked at him. He knew when Shepard was using his 'don't argue with me' voice, and knew to keep his mouth shut when he did. He was a smart man; it was one of the things Eric found so attractive about him.

"Just…" Kaidan started, then tore his eyes from Eric's face to look at the ground. "Please be careful."

Shepard playfully bumped him with a shoulder. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're worried about me, K,"

Kaidan groaned, rolling his eyes. "Yes, of course I'm worried about you. That should be obvious by now."

"I'm flattered," Eric teased, bringing his hands up to his chest to emphasize the point.

"Eric, please. I need you to take this situation seriously,"

Shepard studied him for a moment. Kaidan had always been concerned about his antics, even before there was more between them than Eric's terrible flirting. He wasn't going out of his way to worry Kaidan more, but he had a job to do, and their relationship, whatever it was, couldn't get in the way of that.

He slipped a hand around Kaidan's armored waist and pulled him close. His spare hand carded through his partner's hair, knocking rainwater out and leaving it a disheveled, delicious mess.

Those warm brown eyes stared at him with an intensity that still terrified the piss out of Eric, though he'd never admit that to a living soul.

"I'll be fine," he said, trying to look as serious as he could, and he must have succeeded by the soft look on Kaidan's face.

"Eric-" He started, but Shepard cut him off by hooking a hand behind his neck and bringing their lips together.

They were both freezing and soaked, but Kaidan's mouth was warm, as it always was, and pliant under Eric's demands, opening up for him when he traced his lips with his tongue. A shiver shot down Shepard's spine that had nothing to do with the weather.

Eric groaned into his partner's mouth, pulling their bodies flush together, annoyed at the ablative separating them from closer contact. It seemed like it was never enough just to kiss Kaidan, and Eric was still trying to wrap his head around that. All the people he had been with in his life, and he'd never felt so… desperate for someone. It terrified him more than any Reaper.

And he'd never admit that to a living soul either.

They kissed until they were panting for breath, until Eric could inhale and feel as though he and Kaidan were sharing the same air. When the kiss finally reached its natural conclusion, he rested their foreheads together, swearing he could hear the wild beating of Kaidan's heart until his armor.

"When I get back later, real dinner, just you and me," he murmured, delighting in Kaidan's answering chuckle.

"Are you asking me on a date, Shepard?"

Eric smirked at him, sneaking in another quick kiss. "Duh. You are my boyfriend,"

Kaidan snorted, shoving him away playfully. "Ok, dinner it is. What did you have in mind?"

Shepard studied their surroundings with a contemplative hum. "How about seafood?" He offered as a particularly high wave hit the side of the cruiser, splashing their legs with saltwater.

Kaidan laughed, the kind of open, free sound that made Eric beam with pride. His partner leaned it and stole one final kiss from him before backing away. "I'm holding you to that, Eric."

Shepard winked, turning to climb back into the mech. Cortez was already back by the shuttle, giving them their privacy but smirking mischievously.

"Aye aye, Major. I'll see you soon."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you want to learn more about Eric and the Oenomel-verse, please visit me on [ Tumblr ](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mallaidhsomo). 
> 
> Oenomel also has a [ playlist on Spotify ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/34Sc6yhwm85KvRafC3eaHT?si=P7FsfVHIRwaTc664420G2Q).


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